Flowers ‘giving up’ on scarce insects and evolving to self-pollinate, say scientists

French wild pansies are producing smaller flowers and less nectar than 20 to 30 years ago in ‘startling’ act of evolution, study shows

Wild field pansy (Viola arvensis) — a study has shown that pansies are evolving to give up on pollinators and are moving towards self-pollination

Flowers are “giving up on” pollinators and evolving to be less attractive to them as insect numbers decline.

A study has found the flowers of field pansies growing near Paris are 10% smaller and produce 20% less nectar than flowers growing in the same fields 20 to 30 years ago. They are also less frequently visited by insects.